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The AmericansFollow

#1 Jan 22 2013 at 9:54 AM Rating: Good
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I don't know if Tirith is planning on watching this one, but I just wanted to make the thread first. Smiley: lol

I've always loves cold war spy thrillers, and typically FX does a great job in selecting shows to air so I'm hoping that this one will be as good as the other series on their network. I guess the basic premise revolves around a pair of KGB operatives who are posing as Americans during the 80's. From the commercials, it doesn't seem as if their kids are aware that their parents are KGB, and I'm sure there'll be your typical spy-hunting government agent who will cross the line in order to catch them. It premiers next Wednesday night (Jan. 30). I'm really looking forward to it.
#2 Jan 22 2013 at 10:14 PM Rating: Good
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I saw a commercial or two for it in the past but didn't really think twice, and then I saw one either yesterday or the day before and thought "Oh, I should pay attention to this one."

I see the whole Soviet "Americans" symbol thing and can't help but think of the GOP ragging on the socialist liberal progressive communists that are destroying this country.
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#3 Jan 31 2013 at 3:02 PM Rating: Good
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Well that was awesome.
#4 Jan 31 2013 at 5:19 PM Rating: Good
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Oh... I missed it.
I was playing Ni No Kuni...

I didn't even set my DVR to record it by accident. But I'll have to watch it, probably On Demand already.
Edit: Checked... it's not. I'm a sad panda.
Edit2: Gotta remember to check online... FX has it on their website, unlike Fox who doesn't show theirs until EIGHT days after it airs on their network making it impossible to catch up if you missed before the next episode airs...

Edited, Jan 31st 2013 6:38pm by TirithRR
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#5 Jan 31 2013 at 5:43 PM Rating: Good
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They're airing it again Feb. 4 at like 2am, and again on Tues., 11pm after Justified.
#6 Jan 31 2013 at 7:11 PM Rating: Good
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I just finished watching it now. So far so good.
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#7 Jan 31 2013 at 7:48 PM Rating: Good
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I thought they did a really good job setting up potential plotlines for the season. Though, I thought the husband being willing to defect to the US thing happened earlier than it really needed to.
#8 Jan 31 2013 at 8:02 PM Rating: Good
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The weird thing is the show Elementary had an episode just recently that dealt with pretty much the same storyline as this whole series. In Elementary, a KGB sleeper group had a kid, the father wanted to forget the KGB past and live as Americans, the Mother still was loyal to the KGB.

As for The Americans, I don't think they introduced the Husband's willingness to defect too early. It seems to be the major starting point of the series. He reveals that he is willing to defect and start a real life as Americans with her. Once he realizes what her old Captain did to her as a cadet, he kills the Captain, giving up his key to defecting out of his love for her. Now they are stuck knowing each others true feelings about their jobs, loving each other, and being trapped next to an FBI agent who is the new head of the FBI's Counter Intelligence.

Sure, they could have just kept them as undercover KGB loyal to Russia for a while, but it would be a different story.


Edited, Jan 31st 2013 9:11pm by TirithRR
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#9 Jan 31 2013 at 8:12 PM Rating: Good
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I just thought they could have more, planted a seed instead of confirming it so early. At first, I thought he was testing her to see if she'd go along with it/be willing to defect, you know?
#10 Jan 31 2013 at 9:11 PM Rating: Decent
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I didn't hate it, but it's too early to know if I'll keep watching. The sex was a bit more gratuitous than it needed to be to get the point across. Normally that wouldn't bother me, but it felt forced and unnecessary in this case. Since it just aired, I'll avoid specifics, but from what has happened so far, I'm not sure how they can stretch the story much farther. I'll give it chance, it's not like there is anything else on on Wednesdays.
#11 Feb 06 2013 at 10:05 PM Rating: Good
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FX doesn't know what "Nudity" is apparently...

A two second glimpse of the top of a woman's *** isn't "Warning, this program contains nudity, Viewer discretion is advised."

Edited, Feb 6th 2013 11:06pm by TirithRR
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#12 Feb 07 2013 at 8:20 AM Rating: Good
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Solid episode. I'm interested in where they'll take the show. They've introduced several conflicts you'd typically expect to play out later in a season or series (mainly the one partner considers defecting, and the accelerated timetable forcing more dangerous missions). I liked the little bit with the caviar.

I'm still convinced that this is a continuation of the TV show, Felicity.
#13 Feb 07 2013 at 2:59 PM Rating: Decent
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TirithRR wrote:
FX doesn't know what "Nudity" is apparently...

A two second glimpse of the top of a woman's *** isn't "Warning, this program contains nudity, Viewer discretion is advised."


Yeah. I was thinking the same thing. Kept waiting for this nudity they were promising and they never delivered. Smiley: glare

Spoonless wrote:
Solid episode. I'm interested in where they'll take the show. They've introduced several conflicts you'd typically expect to play out later in a season or series (mainly the one partner considers defecting, and the accelerated timetable forcing more dangerous missions). I liked the little bit with the caviar.


While the pacing does seem a bit fast, I think that's better than the alternative. I can think of a number of shows that got canceled after one season (or a half season sometimes) because the writers had this grand story line and wanted to ease into it naturally, but lost viewers because of the slow pace and never really got to tell the story they were leading into (Dollhouse anyone? Awake?). So I'll take a faster pace any time. Sure, it makes things trickier down the line in terms of keeping the excitement level up while maintaining any semblance of realism, but it's better than getting canceled.

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#14 Feb 07 2013 at 4:08 PM Rating: Good
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gbaji wrote:
While the pacing does seem a bit fast, I think that's better than the alternative. I can think of a number of shows that got canceled after one season (or a half season sometimes) because the writers had this grand story line and wanted to ease into it naturally, but lost viewers because of the slow pace and never really got to tell the story they were leading into (Dollhouse anyone? Awake?). So I'll take a faster pace any time. Sure, it makes things trickier down the line in terms of keeping the excitement level up while maintaining any semblance of realism, but it's better than getting canceled.
Yeah, I agree. I don't think the fast pace is bad, just that I'm a bit surprised they've used the plot devices they have already. I think it would have been fine still if they spaced it out over a couple episodes. They could have waited to develop the family dynamics a bit more, making Philip's willingness to defect in order to provide a good life for their kids feel more natural. I'm sure it'll come up again later in the series as the FBI closes in and the pressure gets turned up.

Also certainly to come: a teenage romance between the two neighbors' kids.
#15 Apr 03 2013 at 10:45 PM Rating: Good
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Probably the best episode so far, tonight. Of course, they seem to be really pushing the gratuitous sex. It's funny because I don't think twice when a show like Game of Thrones does it, but it seems a bit out of place in this show, even though it is about spies.
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#16 Apr 12 2013 at 6:05 PM Rating: Good
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They aren't afraid of showing things (except nipples). They showed a person getting their brains blown out without any cut aways or anything. Face just went "splat" as you were watching.

Looks like Elizabeth and Philip are going to get back together now that their respective distractions are gone. Time for FBI agent and his wife to have issues. He's grown fond of his little Russian piece on the side.
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#17 Apr 13 2013 at 6:45 AM Rating: Good
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I'm pretty sure she's a double agent at this point. I'd be surprised if she wasn't. It'd be kind of amusing if the only friends he really has are Russian spies.
#18 May 02 2013 at 6:38 PM Rating: Good
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I liked the season finale. And enjoyed their choice of music for the last 5 minutes. Seems fitting.

I thought for sure that Grandma was going to take a bullet for Elizabeth and out herself as the spy, but die in the process, throwing the FBI off Phillip and Elizabeth.

The whole 5 minute or so wrap up during Peter Gabriel's song was nice.
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